Responsive Design Frameworks

What is a framework?

A software framework, in computer programming, is an abstraction in which common code providing generic functionality can be selectively overridden or specialized by user code providing specific functionality. Frameworks are a special case of software libraries in that they are reusable abstractions of code wrapped in a well-defined Application programming interface (API), yet they contain some key distinguishing features that separate them from normal libraries.

A framework helps us about using the "already created", a metaphore can be like,

Examples:

"a camera" is the program, and you decided to create a notebook. You don't need to recreate the camera everytime, you just use the earth framework (for example to a technology store) take the camera and integrate it to your notebook.

Advantages:

The biggest advantage of the framework is that it reduces the time and energy in developing any software.
Frameworks provides a standard working system through which user can develop the desired module of application or complete application instead of developing lower level details.
Framework follow design pattern, so when you use these frameworks you’ve to follow their coding convention which makes your code clean and extensible for future purpose.
Framework separates logic from user interface making the code cleaner and extensible.
Frameworks help you to develop the project rapidly, if you know one framework well then you’ll never worry about the project deadline.

Disadvantages:

For the novice user, it is tougher to use the framework quickly as it is big and complex abstract and user has to spend more time in assessing the concept, function and its uses in developing the program.
Another disadvantage is that a generic ‘one-size-fits-all’ does not work so efficiently for any specific software. There is need to extend framework with specific code to develop any specific software.
Frameworks are not for the small projects, because in a very simple project custom coding will work faster than setting up a framework.

How many types of framework are there?

There are basically 2 types to differentiate: backend and frontend this distinction is drawn depending on whether the framework is for the presentation layer or the application/ logical layer.

It’s important to understand that frameworks are a conceptual notion: a pre-prepared standard kit from which to work. The concept of a framework can be applied to different processes carried out on the web: the programmer’s layer which connects the database to the site content and uses PHP language, and the designer’s layer, where that content must be presented in HTML documents with defined CSS style sheets so it can ultimately be viewed in a browser.

They can be backend (a set of files with libraries to access databases, template structures, session management) or frontend. We’re going to focus on frontend frameworks.

Front-end Frameworks (or CSS Frameworks)

Frontend frameworks usually consist of a package made up of a structure of files and folders of standardized code (HTML, CSS, JS documents etc.)

The usual components are:

CSS source code to create a grid: this allows the developer to position the different elements that make up the site design in a simple and versatile fashion.
Typography style definitions for HTML elements.
Solutions for cases of browser incompatibility so the site displays correctly in all browsers.
Creation of standard CSS classes which can be used to style advanced components of the user interface.